The Announcement
by Rae D. Magdon
Summary: Tevos decides to tell her friends, familymembers, and colleagues about her pregnancy, and everyone has something to say about it. TBE/MMIP universe.


**AN: **The sex in this piece is more implied than explicit, but I think you'll all enjoy it nonetheless. This story follows Tevos as she tells a few key people in her life about her pregnancy, and explores their diverging reactions to the news. It takes place right before A Study In Blue, but after The Only Thing.

**. . .**

**The Announcement**

**. . .**

"You're what?"

"I'm pregnant," Tevos repeated, enunciating the words even more clearly.

Sparatus continued staring at her in slack-jawed disbelief. His mandibles quivered, and he tried to continue speaking several times, but he obviously had no idea what to say.

Valern was no better. His enormous eyes were stretched even wider than usual, and he looked positively terrified. "How… how did this happen?"

Tevos sighed. "Against a wall, if you must know." Her eyes slid back to Sparatus, who thankfully still hadn't found his voice. "If you care to fill in the rest of the details, I'm afraid you will have to rely on your rather limited imagination."

Sparatus let out a bark of laughter, and although the look on his face was lecherous, it was also approving. "I've got something better than imagination, remember? Amara Anjali's vid has a scene sort of like that…"

"That's enough, Sparatus." Valern cut him off with a glare. "This discussion is highly unprofessional."

Tevos fought the smirk threatening to tug at the corners of her lips. It would make Valern even angrier if she remained calm. "You did ask, Valern. Besides, you would have been even angrier if I'd chosen to wait until after the news outlets picked up the story."

"And how will this affect your work? Will you be taking a leave of absence, or stepping down from your position?"

Sparatus rolled his eyes. "What are you, stupid? Tevos isn't going anywhere. She won the confidence vote by a landslide."

"I'll be taking a brief leave of absence after my delivery. You can contact Irissa to help you with anything ceremonial, and if any urgent business comes up, one of you can always call me. I'll be going to Omega for the birth."

"Omega?" Valern squeaked, his voice rising in pitch. "Who would give birth to their young on that cesspool of a station?"

"I would," Tevos said firmly. "It's a part of her heritage, just as Thessia is. Besides, Omega deserves to meet its Princess before the rest of the galaxy."

Valern continued sputtering, but Sparatus shoved past him and leaned in for a hug. Tevos allowed it, and although the gesture was a little awkward, she could tell it was sincere. "Congratulations, Tevos. I bet your kid will be a looker when she grows up."

Tevos finally allowed a hint of her smile to break through. "Thank you, Sparatus. I hope I'll be praising her intelligence more than her looks, but if she takes after her father, I won't have any complaints."

. . .

"You're what?"

"I'm pregnant."

The panicked look that crossed Neota's face almost made Tevos feel guilty for springing it on her. Still, her assistant had to find out sometime. Better now, before the news was plastered all over the galaxy.

Neota took a deep, shuddering breath. "Oh, Goddess. That changes things. I'll have to re-organize your entire schedule..."

Tevos's brow furrowed. "Why? I've given you over a year's notice. What could I possibly have scheduled that far in advance?"

"If the baby's coming in another seventeen months, I'll have to reschedule your diplomatic visit to Tuchanka, find a replacement for the first anniversary of the Citadel's re-opening, change the date for…"

Tevos held up a hand, then turned it back to cup her forehead when Neota went silent. Her fingers went instinctively to her temples. "Just how far in the future does my schedule go, Neota?"

Neota chewed at her lower lip. "About five years, Madame Councilor. The last two are more tentative, of course..."

"Of course," Tevos sighed. "But how did you know my delivery date? I haven't told you."

"You conceived her on your trip to Thessia, didn't you?"

She let her hand fall back down. "I'm not going to ask how you figured that out."

An intense, thoughtful expression crossed Neota's face as she started counting on her fingers. "We'll have to prepare an announcement, submit the proper paperwork for your leave of absence… schedule a meeting with Khalisah, of course. Or someone else, if you'd prefer."

"I'll take care of Khalisah," Tevos said, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. Neota's face softened at the touch, and her eyes took on a slightly glassy look. Tevos couldn't be sure if it was a result of stress, or if her shy assistant's imagination was filling in a few gaps. "Why don't you go home early, my dear? Get some sleep. The next decade of my life doesn't have to be planned out in a day."

Neota blinked, and her eyes cleared. "But…"

"Go home," Tevos insisted, giving her a small nudge toward the door. "If you won't sleep, perhaps you should call Amara. I seem to recall you enjoyed her company last time."

A flush spread across Neota's cheeks, and she mumbled a few soft protests as she slipped out of the office. "I'll clear your first half-hour tomorrow morning before I go. The two of us can sit down and figure out what to do."

"I'm having a daughter, Neota. It's not a state of emergency."

"I - I'm sorry…"

"Go."

Suddenly, the frantic look on Neota's face transformed to one of horror. "Oh, congratulations! I completely forgot to say..."

Tevos gave her one last smile. "Thank you. It's appreciated."

At last, Neota disappeared, and Tevos sank backwards into her chair. "This is going to be more exhausting than I thought, isn't it?" she said to the empty room.

. . .

"You're what?"

"I'm pregnant," Tevos said, raising her voice ever so slightly louder than necessary. "And I'm tired of having to repeat myself every time I tell someone."

Khalisah let out a long, low whistle and shook her head. "Hey, can you really blame people for doing a double take? I mean, this is big news! The asari Councilor and the Queen of Omega, having a kid. Damn. This is almost as big as when you first got together…"

Tevos had tried to brace herself for Khalisah's enthusiasm, but it grated on her nerves anyway. She was grateful that she had prevented Aria's attempts to accompany her. Her bondmate wasn't nearly as patient as she was, especially where Khalisah was concerned.

The reporter opened her mouth, probably to start a stream of questions, but Tevos cut her off with a look. "No, we haven't chosen a name. Yes, I'm planning to give birth on Omega. No, I won't be stepping down from my position as Councilor. No, I haven't told any other news outlets, and yes, you can tell your boss, but give me a day's notice before the story runs. I still have to tell my mother."

Khalisah winced. "I'm guessing you don't want me to go to her for a statement, then?"

She gave a stiff nod. "I think that would be best. You wouldn't get a good sound byte from her anyway. She knows better than to show her disapproval in public."

"Hey, I get it," Khalisah said. "My folks weren't exactly thrilled when they found out their granddaughter was going to be blue with a spikey head. I'll give you some time. But if you don't want to talk to her, why tell me?"

"I thought a deadline would help me gather the courage." A surprised look crossed Khalisah's face, but Tevos only smiled. "Does that surprise you? The asari councilor is… well, Commander Shepard would say "I'm still human". I'm not fearless. I have emotional damage. Several hundred years worth more than you, in fact. Especially since the war."

Khalisah nodded in understanding. "The war gave us all more than a lifetime of baggage," she said softly. "Everything's rebuilding, but…"

"I know." Tevos draped a hand across her abdomen. The slight swell wasn't visible yet, but the habit had already become instinctive. "It's not the same. But all we can do is keep living. That's proof enough of our victory. Some of us are still here." _And even though I don't particularly want to talk to her, I'm glad my mother is one of them,_ she thought.

Khalisah activated her Omnitool and started typing. "So… photos. Do you want to schedule something, or should I just use what I've got?"

Tevos snorted. "And let your superiors choose one showing me from the worst angle possible in an attempt to make me look fat? I don't think so. We'll schedule something, and I'll convince Aria to go along with it somehow." Khalisah tried to speak, but Tevos continued. "And before you ask, I won't be posing naked. Not now, and not in another year either. Those beach holos were bad enough."

"I never said anything about that."

"Only because I didn't give you the chance. Liara told me how much you offered her last time, and I'm just as stubborn as she is."

"Hey, I was only the middle woman," Khalisah said, a little huffily. "That offer came straight from my boss."

"Then you can tell your boss the answer is no. So, how does next week sound? Neota should be able to squeeze you in during one of my lunch breaks…"

. . .

"You're what?"

"I'm pregnant."

There was a long, tense pause over the comm link. At last, her mother gave a soft sigh. She raised her fingers to her temples, and Tevos's heart ached at the familiarity of the gesture. She hadn't realized it until now, but it was one she had adopted for herself. "And, Aria is…"

"Yes," Tevos said, willing herself not to be angry at the suggestion. "Aria is the father."

Silence fell again. There was so much that didn't need to be said. Echoes of previous conversations filled the empty space.

"I wish you'd told me in person," her mother said once the silent speaking became too much.

"No. You wish I wasn't with Aria, and you wish my daughter wasn't a pureblood."

There were no hurtful words, but there were no denials, either. Tevos could predict what would happen next. They would part on polite, awkward terms. Her mother wouldn't say anything cruel to her face - at least not this time. They would avoid each other for a few months. And then, when the emotional distance finally became too much, one of them would call. They would talk about everything except her pregnancy.

"I love you, Thea."

But even though Tevos knew her mother meant it, they weren't the words she wanted to hear. There was a vast gulf between love and acceptance. "I know. I love you, too."

. . .

"You're what?"

"I'm pregnant."

Grizz stared at her, mandibles vibrating in shock. At last, he let out an excited trill and leapt forward, holding open his arms. Tevos smiled as she fell into them. No one else would ever suspect Aria's most trusted bodyguard and enforcer of being an affectionate turian, but deep down, he most certainly was.

"When?"

"Not for a while," Tevos said. "This is still new…"

Grizz let her go, still looking slightly dazed as he pulled away. "Not that new. No wonder Aria keeps hovering over you all the time and ordering me bigger guns. I thought someone had made another attempt on your life, and she didn't want to raise any alarms. This makes so much more sense."

"I'm glad to put your mind at ease," Tevos laughed. "I hope she isn't too worried, though…"

"We're talking about Aria here. Of course she's worried. She hates having her heart walk around outside her body."

Her smile faded when she realized that Grizz was speaking from experience. It had only been a few years since Liselle's death, and he had been with Aria long before that. He must have known her before she was murdered. "What was she like?" Tevos asked before she could stop herself. "With Liselle, I mean."

"Distant," Grizz said after a long moment. "Not by choice. She thought she had to be. The fewer people who knew they were related, the safer Liselle was." He let out a thick rush of air. "Not that it helped much in the end. But I learned to see the fear on her face. Took me a few years, but it was always there once I learned where to look. I saw it every single time someone said Liselle's name. Fear's the price of loving someone. It's a price I didn't think I'd ever see her pay again...and especially not twice."

Tevos wasn't certain how to respond. She had felt the empty place in Aria's soul where Liselle should have been. It was scarred over now, but the missing piece would never grow back. Grizz's metaphor was more literal than he knew.

"But for what it's worth, I'm glad she did. Aria's not what I'd call a 'happy' person, but you make her that way. And despite who she is and what she does, I think she deserves it."

"Happiness?" Tevos said. "Of course she does."

The sound of Grizz's omni-tool buzzing ended the conversation. When she nodded, he bent down to check his wrist. Tevos was experienced enough at socializing with turians to recognize the expression on his face as a mixture of happiness and embarrassment. That could only mean one thing. "That's Velana, isn't it? Don't tell her yet. She'll get all huffy if she doesn't hear it directly from me first."

"I'm not admitting to anything," Grizz mumbled.

Tevos laughed as she turned to leave the room. "You just did."

. . .

"You're what?"

"I'm exhausted," Tevos whimpered. She slumped down over the table and rested her forehead against the cool wood. "My back hurts. My neck hurts. Even my eyes hurt. I didn't think pregnancy was supposed to feel uncomfortable until after the first ten months…"

A soft sigh came from behind her, and strong hands began kneading the tight cords of muscle along her shoulders. "This doesn't have anything to do with the baby," Aria whispered. "It's just stress. I can feel how tense you are..."

Tevos groaned and closed her eyes. "If you're trying to seduce me, it's working. But don't stop yet. I've still got a knot on the right side."

Aria's thumb rolled over the worst spot almost immediately. "It's always the right side."

"You know me too well."

"You make it easy. Your body knows me."

It was true. Aria did know her - and not just her body. Her bondmate had taken one look at her when she walked in the door and immediately offered comfort. It was an especially sweet gesture because Tevos knew it didn't always come easily. Although her personality had improved over the past several years, Aria wasn't a natural caretaker. When she did put herself in that role, it was a conscious choice.

"So, what's got you all locked up like this?"

"I don't know," Tevos said, relaxing under Aria's hands. "The baby. The Council. My mother. Telling everyone."

"Fuck them. Not Lycoris, of course. I mean everyone else."

Tevos cracked her eyes open. She turned around and gave Aria a look. "Lycoris?" she repeated. Although the name wasn't commonly used, especially outside of Thessia, she recognized it immediately. "Did you decide to name our daughter without telling me?"

Aria's face didn't twitch, but she nodded her head.

"Even though the mother is supposed to pick the name, and even though I've only been pregnant for a few months?"

The tattoo on Aria's forehead scrunched slightly with worry. "Maybe. But I'm still open to negotiations..."

"There don't need to be any negotiations," Tevos said. She reached back, placing her hand on top of Aria's. "I think it's beautiful. Liselle would be honored."

"I'm not so sure she'll thank me for it when she grows up," Aria mused. "It is old-fashioned. And maybe it's a little egotistical to name both my daughters after the Goddess Kurinth's children."

"A little, yes," Tevos agreed. "But since when have you worried about being egotistical? If you're going to compare yourself to a mythological figure, Kurinth is the most appropriate choice."

Aria's look of worry transformed into one of smug satisfaction. "So, if I'm the goddess of war, what does that make you?"

Tevos stood from her chair, turning to face Aria and striking a seductive pose. "Your devoted acolyte, of course," she said, adding more breathiness to her voice than usual.

"You're going to have to come up with a better role-playing scenario than that," Aria said, but Tevos could tell her sarcasm was mostly for show. Moments later, she was drawn into a strong embrace. Their noses brushed, and her heart rate sped up. "But I'm only too happy to take you on the table while you think of one…"

Tevos glanced back toward the table. "Then I'm grateful I decided to purchase something sturdy. Perhaps I should be the goddess of foresight."

"You can be the goddess of 'shut up and get on your knees'." Aria let go of her and took the chair she had abandoned, grinning and spreading her legs. "What?" she asked, reaching back to rest her elbows casually on the edge of the table. "You didn't think I was going to reward you for nothing, did you? If you want to get fucked, you'll have to do a little worshipping first."

Obediently, Tevos dropped to her knees in front of the chair and reached for Aria's belt buckle. "Of course," she purred, dipping forward to place a glossy kiss against the gleaming metal. "I live to serve."


End file.
